What makes a good sword?
>that list
>>44426277
I can only tell what makes a sword desirable, it's simple:
> +X to hit rolls
> damage
> additional positive effects
> lore, a legend behind it
> additional non-positive effects made up for shits and giggles
a sword of yodelling which will always attract enemies while you're trying to sneak past them is definitely worth keeping if it has good stats and it may be worth keeping even otherwise because well, it's still more interesting than a longsword +1
It's appropriate for the setting, time period and opponents fought.
>>44426277
>raiden's HF blade being best in the list
it isn't even the best from it's own game.
>>44426277
>no lightsaber from Jedi Outcast
>>44426277
>What makes a good sword?
sociohistorical context
>Ashbringer.
>Garbage tier.
>Halo energy sword
>Not garbage tier
>Raidens blade
>Not Smugstream Sam's sword
Holy fuck I've never wanted to strangle someone over the internet this much before.
>>44426277
>Raiden's HF blade
>not Sam's Murasama
>>44426277
Ease of use and conveniance. Swords are medieval pistols.
>>44427288
>not the FOX blade
>>44426277
Retarded weeaboo SFX, explosions, ability to kill gods.
>>44426277
>making me remember old WoW jokes
>The Ashbringer...
Fuck you OP I buried those memories
>>44426277
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2sUepWLHtbUncNls-iXDdw/videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaT3GXdr5kM
>>44427123
It's not in terms of power I don't think, I believe it's how "cool" it is.
That said, I don't get how the Zerth blade doesn't go up on top if it's about coolness. Maybe because it wasn't shown prominently?
A sword that reflects your mental state is cool as heck.
Side note, the "Demon Hunter Swords" from WC3 shouldn't be on the list because they're not fucking swords.
>>44426277
>Brotherhood
>mid-tier
You're joking.
>>44427674
This. This right here.
>>44426277
very little phosphorus in the iron ore.
heat-treatment appropriate for the carbon content of the steel.
Distal taper in the blade appropriate for the type of sword being made.
>>44426277
clearly not an evil blacksmith
>>44428434
Looks more like garbage-tier.
>>44426277
>Brotherhood
>Above Ashbringer
>O hey, I got that sword of my brother lying around, can't use it 'cause my weapon is a ball. It's also made out of water!
>Above the holy symbol of hope in desperate fight against the undead hordes
That's just awful.
Mechanically, a sword has to be useful. So in D&D 3.5 that means it has to have a big enough enhancement bonus to actually hit everything. The other effects you want might have more to do with your build but as long as it doesn't have useless garbage on it or use up all the rest of the enhancement on more +1s, it's fine and it'll be useful in some way or other.
Lorewise? Cool swords get used for cool stuff by cool people. The sword itself is, at the end of the day, a hunk of sharpened metal meant for killing things dead. What it's used in aid of is vastly more important; storied swords that were used for important things matter far more than some nameless blade fresh off the forge. "I just made this with the most advanced tech possible" is far less interesting than "This is the axe of Lorm, and it has tasted the blood of Eldritch Horrors from beyond time and space."
>>44430740
If the weird hook on the end was way smaller and more of a decorative tip, it'd be a pretty solid water-gem sword lookin' thingy. I like crystal swords.
>>44432008
>tfw beat Fromsoft to the cosmic space sword punch
thank you drawfag, I will never forget you
>>44432101
The Moonlight Sword has been a From series staple for like 20 years now
>>44432159
Of course. But, in this particular Bloodborne screenshot, it's literally space with teal aura around it, whereas previously it was just teal.
>>44432225
Wait, I'm dumb, it's Wakka's brother's sword. Been years since I played
>>44432239
I just chalked that up to better graphics.
Here, have a varying quality smorgasbord of swords. Swordgasbord.
>>44426277
Factor 1: Whether it not it fills it's intended role adequately to exceptionally. (Stabbing, cutting, quick to defend with or heavy on the strike, etc)
Factor 2: Whether or not it's made of the proper material or the proper heat treatment for it's intended use. (Spring tempered monosteel for durability and fair-high edge retention, differential hardening on high carbon for raw slicing ability, etc)
Factor 3: How hard will people argue over it, positive or negative.
What makes a good sword is decent hand protection, solid construction, a strong but flexible blade, and a base metal that can hold an edge.
>>44432752
>zweihander only mid
fack off ye shite
>>44426277
>Ashbringer
>below any other Warcraft blade
Terrible. Also, the rest of this list is pretty garbage too. Why is the Masamune on there specifically stated to be from FFVII? Where are the hundreds of other Masamunes? Or Muramasas? Where's the Dragon Buster Sword? Mani Katti but no Sol Katti, Ragnell but no Durandal? This is terrible.And Soul Calibur is way stronger than that gross, sticky Soul Edge.
>>44427238
>Mary Sue: The Sword
>good
>>44432825
It's not a list of the strongest swords, just the most aesthetically pleasing ones; aesthetics being from its appearance to how it's held to what sounds it makes. The Masamune is stated to be from FFVII because it's arguably more popular than any other Masamune, even the real ones, and no one wants a tier list of a dozen things with the same, or similar, names.
>>44432752
Should at least say "Kriegsmesser", otherwise you're just being vague.
>>44432907
>It's not a list of the strongest swords, just the most aesthetically pleasing ones
Well that isn't a subjective thing that will only lead to pointless bitching at all.
>>44432907
Soul Edge is still fugly, and Energy Sword is only cool to basic bitches.
>no stormbringer/mournblade
ffs tg
>>44432810
Two-handed swords don't allow for the use of a shield, and only faggots fight without shields.
>>44432851
you have no clue what a Mary Sue is
>>44432992
mourneblade is in the op
>>44433005
>he doesn't use armour
The only thing that matters once you get to the high levels is maxing out your crits.
mani katti is the way to go
>>44433070
>he thinks armor is more important than a shield
>>44432938
Well I don't know how you didn't realize this when the first item in God Tier is Lirarcor, a talking sword.
>>44432950
Soul Edge may be fugly, but Soul Calibur is too gaudy and crystalline in all the wrong ways.
>>44433005
>The best sword is the one behind a shield
>>44426277
>Keyblade doesn't get a place in the sub-garbage tier
>>44432825
The end of Wrath was literally the worst moment in WoW. Ashbringer had barely been mentioned before that point, when suddenly Tirion self-truth's Naruto style to win "just cause".
>"Deus-ex-machina-sword™ because we accidentally made a villian that was too powerful for any of the main characters to beat."
Could have had a long storyline strung throughout the expansion on trying to find a way to actually kill the Lich King, but instead uou just kinda show up and bullshit your way into winning.
>>44427183
Lightsabers aren't swords, they're short range, continuous guns.
>>44433711
>Ashbringer had barely been mentioned before that point
>Who are the Mograines
>What is the DK intro quest
WoW isn't very good at storytelling, but the Ashbringer had probably the most exposure after Frostmourne.
>>44433857
Mention a couple times, but it had never been focused on or really explained as much more than the lore equivalent of an easter egg. Before Wrath, I think it had only been mentioned once, and actually dropped as a mid-strength item albeit corrupted. I'm not saying it hadn't been there, but you can't say it had been built up as this ultra-powerful, kill-the-BBEG weapon.
>>44433711
Worse than all the times green Jesus steals our thunder? At least Tirion had a decent enough reason to be the only one who could fuck up Arthas, and did it in a cool way.
Thrall on the other hand...
>>44430474
heh
>>44433905
I don't think it had any mention of powers beyond being the anti-undead weapon. You can kinda explain it away if you go with the theory that it's forged from a Naaru.
That on Icecrown though was basicly just divine intervention.
>>44433931
Green Jesus ranks second to me. Only because they built up the Lich King as some near-omnipotent global threat since WC3, and then he gets chumped by the most cliched "Give me strength!!!1!!".
Thrall being stronger than the Dragon Aspects triggered my autism as well, but not as hard.
>>44428433
Still fails in terms of coolness, though.
Sam's blade has an explosive sheath and is a refined version of an already high quality blade.
>>44434094
Thrall is worse for me. Tirion was one of the first Paladins, and he's basically wielding a specialized anti evil shit sword. Him breaking Frostmourne, then Arthas being devoured by all the souls he took, may have been a bit of a cop out, but I thought it was a cool cop out at least.
Thrall just feels lame to me. I get that he's the Horde leader (or rather, was) but he's kinda boring. He's hyped up so much despite very clearly not being a neutral faction character (which Tirion was) and his absurdity is consistent.
>>44433203
I do tend to think things that are factually correct, yes.
>>44426277
>What makes a good sword?
A good smith, that's what.
>>44426277
Any sword in The Witcher 3.
>>44427238
>>Halo energy sword
>>Not garbage tier
It's designed for xenos with two forefingers and two opposing thumbs.
>>44426277
>Master Sword better than Frostmourne or Ashbringer
>When Master Sword has NO BACKSTORY whatsoever
Confirmed for weeabu shit list
>>44436874
>Soul Edge/Calibur, Buster Sword, and Keyblade not God Tier
>Weeaboo
K.
This seems as good an opportunity as any...
Does anyone have the chart from /a/ of number of swords wielded, ranging from "be the sword" (Katanagatari) to "all of the swords" (Gilgamesh)?
>>44436998
>Soul Edge/Calibur, Buster Sword, and Keyblade are in the list
Weeabu, I tell you
HYPER OMNIGOD INFINITE+1 TIER SWORD
>>44426277
>Frostmourne above Ashbringer
You realize Ashbringer broke Frostmourne in half, right?
>>44436874
It was given a backstory in Skyward Sword.
>>44428368
Yesssssssssss
>>44432309
Oh god they're all shit
>>44434616
They why do you value armor over a shield?
>>44437549
I've actually handed one of these out to my players in a game before. They called me a fag, then used it in game.
>>44426277
>no Sol Blade or Kikuichimonji
OP is a shit taste faggot. Whichever blade you decide to commit sudoku with is automatically god tier, since it would be the slayer of the word's biggest gay lord.
>>44438302
I have to admit I kind of like the one with the useless piston/pressure gauge.
>>44437694
he's basing it on aesthetics and writing. Frostmourne looks better than Ashbringer and isn't a stupid deus ex machina
>>44426277
The amount of magical shit and gibberjab written in it.
How long it can go covered in guts and mud before rusting.
Good, balanced weight to cut down properly with.
And being good looking.
>>44439422
Eh, got a a point there.
My favorite part of Ashbringer?
You see that weird-ass guard?
That's a stylized 'L', for Lorderon.
It's the medieval equivalent of ATM machine.
>>44437694
And those bits are getting reforged into the frost DK's legendaries in Legion whilst the Ashbringer is being foisted onto fucking retadins.
>>44439961
>My favorite part of Ashbringer?
>You see that weird-ass guard?
>That's a stylized 'L', for Lorderon.
I did actually know that, and it is the best part
I always thought it was cool how the Forsaken maintained Lordaeron's symbols even after joining the Horde, that shield with the big Horde symbol right next to the Lordaeron L always throws me a bit
>>44440211
I figure it's the remnants of a good plot that blizzard could have done instead of doing their damnest to make half the forsaken Scourge 2.0 in Wrath and the other half + Sylvanas Scourge 2.1 in cata and beyond. Especially with the belf second zone digging up something that make Sylvanas actually seem like she's actually a person and the potential of the Windrunner family reunions that have never happened or just ended in everyone involved being fully retarded for like 4ish expacs and a book.
>>44438447
>>44438447
>Golden Sun
My nigga. Stole so many weapons from this game for my campaign. High level weapons like them had unleashes when the player crit once a day
>>44435198
underrated smithy
>>44439422
>stupid Deus Ex Machina
What?
"an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel."
The Ashbringer gets its power from the crystal (that golden disk floating near the point), which was stolen as a void gem from Orcish Warlocks during the Second War iirc, and then purified by the greatest Light users of the time during the Scourge Invasion.
It was then forged into a sword by Muradin Bronzebeard, and given to Alexandros Mograine, again, one of the greatese Paladins of the time. No part of this was unexpected. A contrivance? Maybe. Also, it DIDN'T SAVE THE SITUATION.
Mograine fucking lost when his son stabbed him in the back and took the sword. Ashbringer has only been relevant since Wrath of the Lich King.
>>44443914
He's talking about the ending of Icecrown Citadel. I like Ashbringer and would put it in a higher tier, but it was a bit of an ass pull.
>>44443971
But that wasn't the Ashbringer itself, it was Tirion Fordring. He made a desperate plea to the Light for strength enough to break free of the iceblock Arthas had placed him in.
Then he jumps in a breaks the sword. The Ashbringer is a powerful sword, no doubt, but it doesn't make the user a badass. It only chooses badass users. Tirion Fordring, Alexandros Mograine, Darion Mograine. These guys were some of the most powerful Paladins/Death Knights in the lore, and it's implied they infused the blade with part of its power - especially Alexandros.
Catchup because of this morning's glitches:
>>44437802
Unfortunately a lot of things were given backstories in SS.
>>44438341
The simple fact that armour replaced shields once it reached a good enough standard. Shields are a novelty piece for dealing with riots and supplementing (read:doing most of the legwork for) a single-handed weapon. And that single-handed weapon would probably be a mace.
We're talking swords? We're talking two-handed swords if not glaives and guisarmes, and armour.
>>44432752
>no jian
Shit-tier list.
>Is it choppy?
>Is it stabby?
>Can a human wield and swing it?
>Can it work for a long time without needing to be fixed?
If you can answer any two of those questions with "Yes", then you have a good sword.
Always had a soft spot for the Claymore
>>44446925
So if a sword can be used for choping and stabbing, but is made of cardboard and is the size of a building rendering it unusable for humans, it is good?
The best blade ever forged.
>>44447586
a cardboard sword is neither choppy nor stabby, you contrarian wad of owl pellets.
>>44447621
Solid glass sword? Shatters after one use, but is fine for three out of four criteria.
>>44426277
Anime/10 blades that are 2m long, indestructible, fuckhuge, cut through everything, are super lightweight and can be summoned to their true wielders at will.
That being said, I like the books.
>>44447673
Worked in the Ultima series
>>44437549
>made out of stainless steel, gems, and gold
I mean, the other stuff is hilarious too, but this gets me every time.
>>44446925
>Falcata type, lots of authority and chop
>razor edge
>made of disassembler nanites that disintegrate any human attempting to use it and then create more of the swords
>eutectic structure means maintenance is a thing of the past
Sounds like a great sword
>>44446925
>Not choppy
>Not stabby
>Wieldable by humans
>High durability
I... think that's a club or a mace, not a sword, anon.
>>44447723
You know what's funny? Every sword except the second from left would probably just stab you in the hand if you tried using it.
>>44449275
You don't understand, in that universe, the wielders of these weapons also have magic power armour that makes them nearly invincible and super fast and strong.
>>44449330
Well that sure doesn't sound like Original Character: Do not steal
>>44432992
My nigga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C2K889u_90
>>44426277
>fucking Liracor is on the list
>not Carsomyr
Shit taste detected, opinion discarded and hitmen are on their way.
>>44426277
Your dead enemies.
>>44427123
>>44427183
>>44427238
>>44427288
>>44427693
>>44428293
>>44432825
>>44432992
>>44438447
...so much "y u no inclood sord frum ting" about the OP image...
>>44449275
The one on the right doesn't look too bad. Admittedly, that one might stab you in the wrists.
>>44426277
I generally don't like vidya swords, because I prefer weapons that strike a middle ground between being ornate and simplistic.
The movie versions of Anduril and Glamdring are what I would consider almost perfect 'magic sword' designs. You can tell they're more than just your average blade, but they're also not bogged down with random crap. Anduril in particular has a sort of iconic feel to it - it's how you'd envisage Excalibur, if you don't take into account that Excalibur would have existed before that style of sword and quality of metalworking were a thing.
>>44449491
I wonder why some people even bother with all the spiky bits on the hilt. If you want them on the blade, okay, that's fine with me (though it mostly just looks silly), but why have sharp spikes on the piece you grab with your own hand? That seems very counterintuitive.
>>44449567
I agree with you. There's no reason for spiky on the hilt. On the pommel, though, makes a certain amount of sense. Not a LOT of sense, I grant you, but some.
>>44426277
>Magicbane isn't top of the list
Do you even Elbereth?
>>44449851
Also, how does a curved hilt like pic related help anything? I like the LotR swords, because they look like you could actually use them, but Hadhafang looks downright stupid. And the ork-thingys too, given that they get casted.
>>44449945
Casting and form cutting are actually decent ways to make swords.
Albion, one of the best sword makers right now, form cuts from a sheet of steel before forging.
The Orcs did the same thing, basically. They pour out the iron/steel into blanks, forge them, temper them, and then hand them off. Orc machetes are supposed to be very utilitarian, and they are. They have little to no guard because an Orc wouldn't really use it, as they fight using overwhelming force. They have backspikes for piercing plate, binding their weapon, and tripping, and the blades are reasonable length, seem good for a push or pull cut, and look like they'd be fine at chopping.
>What are curved hilts for?
Leverage when swinging. When you swing a sword, you don't keep your wrist locked, unless using something akin to a viking's arming sword or a gladius. The curve in the hilt gives you more of an arc, thus more power.
Alternatively, it makes thrusting easier, as it keeps your force more parallel with the tip when you thrust.
![saw_cleaver[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/h97l28j.jpg "saw_cleaver[1].jpg")
>>44426277
A tricky one.
>>44449926
Magicbane is an athame, not a sword, fucktard.
>>44450169
But anon, they just pour it into an open castform.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jamrudGfC4
I'm completely okay with them not having a guard, and the spike can be reasonable, no doubt, but it will be brittle as fuck. You can temper -some- cast iron, but surely not some stuff the orks dug up. And you can't really forge a cast iron sword (or any item, for that matter), as it will simply break.
the curved hilt on the other hand just looks not really ergonomic to me. And I don't see how that little curve gices you any more leverage.
>>44450546
You're making a LOT of assumptions of some very brief establishment shots.
>not some stuff the orcs dug up
Why not? Orcs in the LotR universe are not 40k Orkz. These are intelligent, if malicious, beings. They're also meant to represent the dark side of industry, and the dangers of over industrialization. They probably actually have very good quality iron (ie. not the kind you make cast iron anything with) with little impurities. They also have Saruman, one of the wisest of the Wizards overseeing them. The swords look pretty rough, but that's because they don't do any grinding to the the blade other than what's absolutely necessary to make the blade serviceable - that is, hitting the ideal weight and balance, which is about 2-3lbs, with the point of balance being a few inches away from the hilt, and probably no more than 1/4ths the way up the sword, and a decently sharp edge.
>the hilt doesn't look ergonomic
The frills and the inlays on that particular hilt might be a bit annoying for prolonged use, depending on how flush they are to the wood. Otherwise, it looks fairly ergonomic to me. The hilt it ovular in shape, so it'll fit the grip well, the pommel is wider than the hilt itself, meaning it won't slip right out of your hand.
Many swords with curved hilts like that exist. The angle is perhaps a little more dramatic than something you'd see in real life, but that seems forgivable, at least to me.
Honestly, the most unrealistic thing about that sword? The two little thorn-like things jutting out. You could try and pass them off as a guard of some kind, but they wouldn't catch much, unless you were in the bind with your opponent, but even then, your opponent could just aim straight for your hand. HOWEVER. The elvish fighting style seems to focus more on avoiding and parrying, rather than blocking the the guard or using a shield.
>>44450546
>I don't see how that curve gives you any more leverage.
Swords are not baseball bats. The power of your cut does not come mostly from your arm.
It comes from your footwork - stepping into the strike. And your hips, putting your weight and momentum behind the attack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXd2gw_akVE
This guy is teaches Kendo/Iaido, and is probably one of the best in the world. See how when he strikes, his shoulder stays locked, only really using it to draw the blade as he moves into his blow, his wrist does most of the work.
Now, imagine doing the same thing, except the hiltshape allows you to move the blade at a much more dramatic angle, therefore putting more force behind the blade.
This really would be more effective if I had scimitar videos off-hand, but I don't.
>>44450546
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMDdsq7Knr0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgc_s8T2kLo
These are a little better lit and shot, and illustrate the point a bit more.
>>44438341
By the end of the Medieval period armour had replaced shields, just look at the Wars of the Roses
>>44438341
If shields are so valuable, then why do pretty much every infantry use polearms?
Romans and Greeks were pretty much they only ones to employ shields as a mainline tactic, and even then, that was because they had shitty leather armour, and their unit tactics sort of revolved around the shield walls.
For everybody else, you used a shield if you were a pussy, or if you sucked.
>>44437549
>Copyrighted
And there's the final ticket to KEK town.
>>44450250
I have that exact knife, but it's sword length. It's hilariously bad.
>>44426277
A good sharp stabby end with two good slicy sides with a full tang and a nice grabby end.
>>44426277
The hand that holds it, and the will that drives the hand.
>>44451393
>>44451485
Serious question.
How many tatami mats does this nigga own?
>>44453234
Considering he runs a kendo school and a forge?
Quite a lot. They're also not that expensive.
>>44451922
>If shields are so valuable, then why do pretty much every infantry use polearms?
Two reasons:
1) You can use a spear with a shield perfectly well.
2) Metal was expensive when "sword and board" was a viable tactic. A spear represented a minimal amount of metal to make a very serviceable weapon.
>>44426277
>no Soul Reaver.
Shit list.
>>44447673
It would certainly ruin someones day, ye controverted heap of cold porridge.
>>44447809
*stanless
It lacks stans, or cannot be stan'd. Not stainless steel.
>>44454393
Agreed. I feel like Legacy of Kain is all but forgotten sometimes.
>>44437549
I've seen this thing a hundred times over the years, and it always gets a chuckle out of me.
>>44426277
>Dak'kon's Karach Blade
>shaped by its wielder's thoughts and capable of annihilating the universe in the right hands
>Mid tier
And that's only the first thing wrong with that awful list.
>>44454393
>>44454943
It's gone, but not forgotten.
Don't say anything about Nosgoth.
